It's crunch time in the Premier League, and for the first time in a very long time, Arsenal are potentially just two games away from being crowned champions.

By this time last year, Mikel Arteta's side had totally fallen away from Manchester City, but with that experience to fuel them, his young team looks ready to take this to the wire.

Alongside Edu Gaspar, the Spaniard has built an imposing team full of incredibly talented youngsters who could continue to challenge for major honours for years to come.

However, one key player, Thomas Partey, might need to be replaced and upgraded due to his age and injury record, and based on recent reports, it may well happen this summer.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent edition of the Spanish newspaper Sport, Arsenal have maintained their interest in Real Sociedad's star midfielder, Martin Zubimendi.

The report names Bayern Munich and Barcelona as the Gunners' two biggest competitors in the market. However, it also claims the Catalan club can't afford to match the player's €60m – £52m – release clause, while a report from Sky Sports Germany in March revealed that Munich considers the clause too dear.

However, their competitors' inability or unwillingness to activate Zubimendi's release clause isn't Arsenal's only advantage in this transfer saga. Sport also revealed that the midfielder is 'seduced by the Premier League', meaning the North Londoners really are holding all the cards at present.

That said, £52m would still represent a significant investment, but given how unreliable Partey's fitness is and the age of Jorginho, it might be an investment they have to make.

How Zubimendi compares to Partey

So, if Arteta is going to spend a considerable portion of his summer budget on Zubimendi as a long-term replacement and upgrade on Partey, how do the pair compare?

Well, given that they both predominantly play as holding midfielders, the best way to compare them is through their underlying numbers, and when doing that, the young Spaniard holds his own and even outperforms the Arsenal man in a lot of metrics, suggesting that with time and coaching, he could surpass the Ghanaian overall.

For example, while the 30-year-old produces far more progressive passes than his potential replacement, he isn't that far ahead when it comes to progressive carries, passing accuracy, tackles, or ball recoveries per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.14

0.09

Non-Penalty Goals

0.14

0.00

Assists

0.03

0.00

Progressive Passes

5.15

8.00

Progressive Carries

1.15

1.86

Shots on Target

0.37

0.29

Goals per Shot on Target

0.36

0.00

Passing Accuracy

85.7%

88.9%

Tackles

1.66

1.71

Blocks

1.12

0.86

Clearances

1.83

0.86

Miscontrols

0.88

1.00

Dispossessed

0.54

1.14

Ball Recoveries

5.73

6.86

Aerial Duels Won

1.49

1.00

In contrast, the "heart of La Real's midfield", as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, produces a higher non-penalty expected goal and assists figure, takes more shots on target, makes more blocks and clearances, wins more aerial duels and miscontrols the ball less often, all per 90.

There is also a lot of hope and excitement around the 25-year-old in his homeland, with national team manager Luis de la Fuente describing him as one of the "best centre-midfielders in the world" in an interview with one Spanish publication.

Lastly, while we have already mentioned problems around Partey's availability, it is worth delving into, as in the last four seasons, he has missed 72 games for club and country through injury, whereas the "incredible" San Sebastián-born ace, as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has missed just six games in the same period.

Even if Zubiemendi could only ever be 75% as good as Partey, he would be a far more useful player for Arteta, as he would actually be available to play practically every game. So, Arsenal must take this opportunity to sign the Spaniard as the perfect replacement.

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The ECB has announced proposed dates and venues for England’s three-Test series against West Indies, subject to government clearance.The first Test will be staged at the Ageas Bowl on July 8, with the second and third Tests to be held at Emirates Old Trafford. All three games will be staged behind closed doors, with players staying at on-site hotels in biosecure conditions.

England v West Indies fixtures:

• 1st Test: July 8-12, Ageas Bowl

• 2nd Test: July 16-20, Emirates Old Trafford

• 3rd Test: July 24-28, Emirates Old Trafford

As revealed by ESPNcricinfo, the West Indies squad will arrive in the UK on June 9, when they will travel to Emirates Old Trafford for a three-week period of quarantine and training. They will then travel to the Ageas Bowl ahead for the final stages of preparation before the first Test.The ECB said in a press release that the venues had been chosen after meeting criteria relating to biosecurity, medical screening and testing provisions, their ability to uphold social distancing, and cricketing facilities.Four venues submitted expressions of interest, and Edgbaston has been selected as a contingency venue. It will also be used to stage training throughout July.The Ageas Bowl and Emirates Old Trafford will both receive an administration fee for staging the series, and additional costs will be met by the ECB. The three Tests had originally been scheduled for The Oval, Edgbaston and Lord’s, which will all have their staging fees reimbursed, and the ECB will claim for all lost ticket revenues through its insurance policy with fans entitled to full refunds.Steve Elworthy, the ECB’s director of special operations, said that the main objective was to deliver a safe environment for all those involved.”We are in daily dialogue with government and our medical team, who have been incredibly supportive during this period,” Elworthy said. “These are our proposed dates and they remain subject to UK Government approval.”The ECB said it is continuing to work on how best to stage matches, with Ireland, Pakistan and Australia due for men’s tours later in the summer, and South Africa and India scheduled to play women’s series. There are also plans to stage a shortened domestic season, though it was confirmed last week that county cricket will not restart before August 1.

Lorient's new manager Olivier Pantaloni has told Benjamin Mendy he is no longer wanted at the club.

Article continues below

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• Mendy frozen out at French club
• Signed as a free agent after being cleared of rape
• Unlikely to play for club again

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per the Daily Mail, Pantaloni has told former Manchester City ace Mendy that he is no longer required at Lorient. The club were relegated at the end of last season, having signed the left-back in July of 2023. Mendy had been on trial for rape, but was cleared of seven counts, as well as one count of attempted rape. Following that trial, Lorient secured his signature, leading to protests from supporters.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Now, following their relegation to Ligue 2, Pantaloni has not included Mendy in either of the club's matchday squads this season; they have won both games without him. Per the report, Lorient fans have previously branded Mendy a "rapist" and urged him to leave the club, doing so following their drop through the trapdoor. Now, Pantaloni says he does not want the balance of the squad "disturbed" by his presence.

• WHAT PANTALONI SAID

  Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he said: "Sportingly, they know that these are not players that I particularly want to have in the group. I don't want the balance of the group to be disturbed or even hampered by the arrival in the team of players who do not want to experience a journey with FC Lorient."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Lorient play Amiens on Saturday. Mendy, it appears, will not be involved in the squad after Pantaloni's forthright comments.

Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Conor Gallagher and the chances of him joining Tottenham Hotspur this summer, coming after what seems like nearly a year of Spurs links to the 24-year-old.

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Reports suggest Chelsea may have to raise £100 million through player sales by that date, and with Gallagher's contract expiring in 2025, he's a firm candidate for the Stamford Bridge exit door despite being a key player for Mauricio Pochettino.

Gallagher's sale would go down as pure profit on Chelsea's books, given he's a product of the Cobham academy, and the notion Pochettino's side could be forced to sell has alerted club chiefs at Tottenham.

Spurs have been tipped with interest in signing Gallagher for quite some time, with reports dating as far back as last year. Tottenham's fondness for Gallagher has remained heading into the next summer window, with pundit Pat Nevin believing he would be a perfect fit.

“In an ideal world where finances are all balanced, Chelsea would absolutely not be looking to sell Conor Gallagher. I can’t imagine it, it’s unthinkable," said Nevin this week to Grosvenor Sport (via The Metro).

"Similar to when Mason Mount left. But if the finances say you need to do it then you need to do it. It may be unbelievably painful for a lot of Chelsea fans because, as someone said to me the other day, it feels like selling the family silver. Chelsea have been selling off bits of the stadium and hotels and it’s slightly discomforting but the accountants are in control really.

Crystal Palace 1-3 Chelsea

8.78

Chelsea 6-0 Everton

8.64

Tottenham 1-4 Chelsea

8.22

Chelsea 3-0 Luton Town

7.90

Chelsea 4-3 Man United

7.88

“You wouldn’t be surprised if he went to someone like Spurs signed Conor Gallagher, obviously that would be particularly painful for Chelsea fans. But what a player he would be for them, I’d probably say he’s better suited to Spurs, the way he plays.

“The transfer situation is really quite delicate with Chelsea because we don’t know who is making the decisions and that’s what it comes down to."

Fabrizio Romano shares Gallagher to Tottenham update

Now, respected media source Romano has shared an update on the "game-changer" and his situation for GiveMeSport.

Indeed, he says Tottenham are waiting for Chelsea's final decision on Gallagher before making a move, and he adds that manager Ange Postecoglou remains an absolutely huge fan.

“Conor Gallagher remains on Tottenham’s shortlist," said Romano.

"He’s a super-appreciated player at Spurs. He’s been on Ange Postecoglou’s list since day one and has always been a player he loves. So, I think Tottenham will be there if Chelsea decide to sell the player in the summer transfer window. But for sure, Gallagher remains a player that is appreciated by Tottenham, and they’re waiting for Chelsea’s final decision on that one.”

It's been another Premier League season to remember for Arsenal this year, as with just one game to go, they're in with a real chance of winning the title.

However, with the campaign almost at an end, Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar must start preparing for next year and, with Kai Havertz now the team's established number nine, Gabriel Jesus could well be on the way out.

The Brazilian marksman hasn't had the best of seasons, and based on recent reports, the club could be in close communication with a player who could replace him in the squad.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Elvis Basanovic, the agent of Slovenian striker Benjamin Šeško, was present at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon to watch the Gunners beat the Red Devils 1-0, and based on another report from the Standard, both teams are keen to bring the forward to England in the summer.

The Standard's report revealed that RB Leipzig, the team he joined last summer, has placed a €50m – £43m – release clause in his contract that will activate at the end of the summer, meaning he is genuinely attainable for both sides.

Cross-city rivals Chelsea and Newcastle United were also mentioned as interested parties in the article, but following Sunday's game, it would appear that Arsenal and United are at the forefront of the race.

It would likely be a challenging deal to get done and one that would still cost a pretty penny, but following an impressive year in Germany, it's one Edu and Co should pursue, especially as Jesus has been poor in front of goal this year.

How Šeško compares to Jesus

So, with Havertz looking like he'll remain the Gunners' preferred number nine until the end of the season and potentially into next year, the player we should be comparing Šeško to is Jesus, especially after reports at the start of the month revealed that the North Londoners could be open to selling him in the summer.

With that said, when looking at the pair's pure output this season, the "prolific" Leipzig ace, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, just about comes out ahead of the Brazilian, racking up 17 goals and two assists in 41 appearances, or just 1966 minutes, meaning he is currently averaging a goal involvement every 103 minutes.

In comparison, the former Manchester City star has scored eight goals and provided eight assists in 35 games, or 1897 minutes, meaning he is averaging a goal involvement every 118 minutes.

Šeško vs Jesus this season

Players

Šeško

Jesus

Appearances

41

35

Goals

17

8

Assists

2

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.46

0.45

All Stats via Transfermarkt

What about their striker-relevant underlying numbers, then? Does the Slovenian come out ahead there as well?

Well, while it's not a total landslide, the former Salzburg gem once again comes out ahead overall as while he produces a lower non-penalty expected goal and assist figure, takes fewer shots and produces fewer shot-creating actions per 90, he scores more goals, is far more clinical with his shots, takes more shots on target, produces more goal-creating actions and wins far more aerial duels per 90.

Šeško vs Jesus

Stats per 90

Šeško

Jesus

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.54

0.61

Non-Penalty Goals

0.81

0.25

Assists

0.12

0.21

Shots

2.76

3.32

Goals per Shot

0.30

0.07

Shots on Target

1.44

1.17

Goals per Shot on Target

0.57

0.21

Shot-Creating Actions

2.19

3.50

Goal-Creating Actions

0.50

0.49

Aerial Duels Won

2.31

0.92

All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 League Season

Ultimately, while Jesus is a highly talented player and arguably a more complete all-around attacker, the players' pure output and underlying numbers make it crystal clear that when it comes to who is the better out-and-out goalscorer, the only answer is Sesko.

So if Arsenal have a chance to bring him to the Emirates in the summer, they must take it.

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أعلنت رابطة الأندية المصرية، عن مواعيد مباريات بطولة كاس الرابطة المصرية للموسم الحالي 2024-2025.

وتقام بطولة كأس رابطة الأندية للمرة الرابعة، بعد أن أقيمت 3 نسخ من قبل، توج بها فيوتشر في المرة الأولى وسيراميكا كليوباترا حصل عليها مرتين.

وتلعب البطولة بنظام المجموعات في الدور الأول، على أن تكون مرحلة الإقصاء بدءًا من دور ‏ربع النهائي، وتختتم المسابقة يوم 9 يونيو 2025.

طالع | مواعيد مباريات الأهلي في كأس الرابطة 2024-2025

وتعد بطولة كأس رابطة الأندية مؤهلة إلى بطولة كأس السوبر المصري بنظامه الجديد الذي يشارك فيه 4 أندية (بطل الدوري وبطل كأس مصر وبطل كأس الرابطة والفريق الذي يحصل على الكارت الذهبي من اللجنة المنظمة).

وأشارت رابطة الأندية أن البطولة ستبدأ 10 ديسمبر المقبل، ويشارك في بطولة كأس الرابطة هذا الموسم 18 فريقًا والتي تمثل بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز وعلى رأسها الأهلي والزمالك، وتم تقسيم الأندية على 4 مجموعات.

طالع | نتيجة قرعة كأس رابطة الأندية موسم 2024 – 2025.. تعرف على مجموعة الأهلي والزمالك مواعيد مباريات كأس الرابطة المصرية 2024-2025مواعيد مباريات الجولة الأولى لـ كأس الرابطة

الأهلي ضد إنبي، 10 ديسمبر، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، على ملعب استاد السلام.

الإسماعيلي ضد حرس الحدود، 11 ديسمبر، الساعة 5 مساءً، ملعب برج العرب بالإسكندرية.

الجونة ضد سموحة، 11 ديسمبر، الساعة 5 مساءً ملعب خالد بشارة بالغردقة.

مودرن سبورت ضد بتروجيت، 11 ديسمبر، الساعة 8 مساءً، ملعب بتروسبورت.

سيراميكا كليوباترا ضد البنك الأهلي، 11 ديسمبر، الساعة 8 مساءً، ملعب المقاولون العرب.

فاركو ضد طلائع الجيش، الخميس 12 ديسمبر، الساعة 5 مساءً ملعب حرس الحدود.

غزل المحلة ضد زد، 12 ديسمبر، الساعة 8 مساء، ملعب غزل المحلة.

بيراميدز ضد الاتحاد السكندري، 17 ديسمبر، الساعة 7 مساءً، ملعب 30 يونيو. مواعيد مباريات الجولة الثانية من كأس الرابطة المصرية

سموحة ضد بتروجيت، 18 مارس 2025، الساعة 9 مساءً، ملعب استاد الإسكندرية.

البنك الأهلي ضد غزل المحلة، 18 مارس 2025، الساعة 9 مساءً، استاد القاهرة.

المصري ضد زد، 19 مارس 2025، الساعة 9 مساءً، ملعب ستاد السويس.

الزمالك ضد الجونة، 19 مارس 2025، الساعة 9 مساءً، ملعب استاد القاهرة. مواعيد مباريات الجولة الثالثة لـ كأس الرابطة المصرية

السبت 22 مارس 2025

إنبي ضد فاركو، الساعة 9 مساءً، ملعب بتروسبورت.

الاتحاد السكندري ضد حرس الحدود، الساعة 9 مساءً ملعب استاد الإسكندرية.

الأهلي ضد طلائع الجيش، الساعة 9 مساءً، ملعب الكلية الحربية.

الأحد 23 مارس 2025

الإسماعيلي ضد بيراميدز، الساعة 9 مساءً ستاد الإسماعيلية.

سيراميكا كليوباترا ضد غزل المحلة، الساعة 9 مساءً ملعب المقاولون العرب.

مودرن سبورت ضد سموحة، الساعة 9 مساءً، ملعب استاد القاهرة.

الإثنين 24 مارس 2025

البنك الأهلي ضد المصري، الساعة 9 مساءً ملعب السويس الجديد.

الزمالك ضد بتروجيت، الساعة 9 مساءً، ملعب الكلية الحربية. مواعيد مباريات الجولة الرابعة من كأس الرابطة المصرية

الثلاثاء 1 أبريل 2025

بتروجيت ضد الجونة، الساعة 5 مساءً ملعب بتروسبورت

زد ضد البنك الأهلي، الساعة 8 مساءً ملعب استاد القاهرة.

الأربعاء 2 أبريل 2025

الزمالك ضد مودرن سبورت، الساعة 5 مساءً ملعب استاد القاهرة.

المصري ضد سيراميكا كليوباترا، الساعة 8 مساء، ملعب السويس الجديد. مواعيد مباريات الجولة الخامسة من كأس الرابطة المصرية

الثلاثاء 22 أبريل 2025

الأهلي ضد فاركو، الساعة 5 مساء، ملعب استاد القاهرة.

طلائع الجيش ضد إنبي، الساعة 5 مساءً، ملعب جهاز الرياضة العسكري.

بيراميدز ضد حرس الحدود، الساعة 8 مساءً، ملعب حرس الحدود.

الإسماعيلي ضد الاتحاد السكندري، الساعة 8 مساءً ملعب الإسماعيلية.

الأربعاء 23 أبريل 2025

الزمالك ضد سموحة، الساعة 5 مساءً، ملعب برج العرب.

الجونة ضد مودرن سبورت، الساعة 5 مساءً، ملعب خالد بشارة بالغردقة.

زد ضد سيراميكا كليوباترا، الساعة 8 مساءً، استاد القاهرة.

غزل المحلة ضد المصري، الساعة 8 مساءً، ملعب السويس. مواعيد مباريات دور ربع ونصف النهائي ونهائي كأس الرابطة المصرية

The Barcelona midfielder is looking to defend the prize she won 12 months ago but faces competition from a host of global stars

The Ballon d'Or Femenin remains a relatively new trophy on the world football scene, but lifting the Golden Ball is quickly becoming a dream for many of the world's best women's players. And after another epic 12 months, the shortlist of nominees for the 2024 award has been revealed.

The 2023-24 European club season was once again dominated by Barcelona, who won all four trophies available to them, including the Champions League after the Spanish side defeated Lyon in the final. However, Spain's World Cup winners couldn't repeat the trick at the Olympics, eventually finishing fourth as the United States, led by new coach Emma Hayes, marched to gold in Paris.

The main contenders for the Ballon d'Or, then, come from those two teams, with Barca midfielder Aitana Bonmati looking to defend her title, while team-mate Caroline Graham Hansen also enjoyed a season to remember in Catalunya. Sophia Smith, meanwhile, played a key role in the USWNT's Olympic triumph, while her form in the NWSL for Portland Thorns has also been excellent.

We will have to wait until the ceremony on Monday, October 28 to find out who claims the prize, but for now, here are the players who have been shortlisted for women's football's ultimate individual honour:

Getty ImagesAitana Bonmati (Barcelona)

The midfielder was hugely influential in Barcelona's first continental quadruple, with the 26-year-old named the Most Valuable Player of both the Champions League final and the tournament. Bonmati was also part of the Spain side that won the inaugural women's Nations League.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesBarbra Banda (Orlando Pride)

The Zambian international has been on fire in the NWSL, scoring 12 goals and bagging five assists in just 14 matches. She also scored four goals in three matches for her country at the Paris Olympics this summer.

Getty ImagesTarciane (Houston Dash)

The centre-back signed for the Dash for the third-highest transfer fee ever recorded in the women's game back in April and played a starring role as Brazil claimed the silver medal at the Olympics.

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GettyLauren Hemp (Manchester City)

The England international scored 11 goals and bagged eight assists in 21 Women's Super League matches for City. And for the Lionesses, she scored five times and turned provider on two occasions in eight games for her country.

Governing body acknowledges need for ‘meaningful change’ as it recognises black cricketers are marginalised

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-2020The ECB says it is committed to delivering “meaningful and long-term change” to the way that cricket is run in England and Wales, after acknowledging that the sport is not immune to the “systemic racism” that “spans institutions and sectors across the country”.In a reflective statement, issued in response to the global wave of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, the ECB acknowledged that “barriers to [cricket’s] enjoyment exist for many communities”, and recognised the depth of feeling that has been expressed by the sport’s BAME community, not least the former England opener Michael Carberry, who stated this week that “black people are not important to the structure of English cricket”.”We have listened carefully to those who have spoken out in recent weeks about their experiences of being black in cricket, sport and society,” said the ECB. “We admire them for being vocal on this crucial topic. We know that systemic racism spans institutions and sectors across the country and we know that our sport is not immune.”On Thursday, James Anderson leant his voice to the cause, stating that the current levels of inclusion from players of Afro-Caribbean heritage in English cricket are “just not okay”. Anderson was commenting in response to a tweet from one journalist, who had established that there was a solitary UK-born, state-school-educated black cricketer playing regular first-team county cricket in 2019.”We truly believe that cricket is a game for everyone but understand that sadly, barriers to its enjoyment exist for many communities,” the statement continued. “We have made progress in bringing cricket to more and more people around the country and it is our resolve to break down barriers and reform our structures everywhere across the game.””In recent weeks we have reflected, and acknowledge that black players and fans, who have contributed so much to the history of our game, now feel disenfranchised. They do not feel as if cricket is a game for them. This must change.”That is why it’s so important that we continue to listen to the voices of those who have spoken out, to educate ourselves and face uncomfortable truths in order to create action internally and throughout the game, to ensure long-term change.”We will now work to engage community leaders and black influencers within cricket so that we can review and evolve our existing inclusion and diversity work and specifically address the issues raised by the black community.”From there, it is our overall desire to create demonstrable action, in order to deliver meaningful and long-term change that permeates every layer of the game.”The ECB has made moves in recent years to improve the sport’s mainstream diversity, with the launch in 2018 of the South Asian Action Plan, in a bid to reach out to communities that contribute at least 30% of the active cricketers in the UK.It also implemented cricket’s own version of the ‘Rooney Rule’, which stipulates that at least one candidate from a BAME background has to be interviewed for every coaching vacancy with the men’s, women’s and disabled national teams.On Friday, Vikram Solanki was appointed as Surrey’s new head coach, the only person from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background in such a role among the 18 first-class counties.

Liverpool have been dealt another blow just 24 hours before the Merseyside derby as Jürgen Klopp confirmed that they have picked up yet another injury this season.

Reds chasing Premier League title

With just five games left to play, Liverpool are well in the hunt for the Premier League title. Behind Arsenal only on goal difference, they will sit two points adrift of Manchester City should Pep Guardiola's side win their game in hand.

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However, they face a tough test in the form of the Merseyside derby against an Everton side desperately scrapping for survival following two separate points deductions for breaching financial fair play.

With the added bite that the fixture tends to bring with it, the Reds will need to be at their best to come away with all three points despite the clear difference in quality between the sides this season. However, they will have to make do a man light.

Jota set to miss out vs Everton

Despite only making his return from injury earlier this month, Diogo Jota is once more set for a spell on the sidelines. Injuries have plagued the Portuguese striker since he arrived from Wolves, but remains a key part of the Reds attack and is under contract on Merseyside until 2027, taking home £140,000 per week.

Fortunately, it is likely to be a brief absence this time, but it has been revealed that he will be unable to play any part in the Merseyside derby.

“Unfortunately Diogo Jota scored a goal and felt a bit — he will be out for two weeks”, Klopp confirmed ahead of the clash with Everton.

However, the German manager then went on to ease fears of fans, claiming that it was "pretty much nothing".

“Before which game where he didn’t start, he got a knock – normal challenge, then felt a little bit at the hip. That was then fine because we didn’t start him, brought him on, that was alright.

“Then he started the last game, was obviously OK and then with the finish… it’s a small one but we are late in the season, so obviously now it’s not a great moment for each injury pretty much.

Diogo Jota since Liverpool debut
Appearances	145
Goals	56
Assists	19
Minutes per goal/assist	112.52
Games missed	71

“It’s not a big one. When I say two weeks, actually really it’s pretty much nothing but enough to not be available.”

He also added that there were no further fresh injury concerns, which will come as a relief to Liverpool given their injury record this season.

As it stands therefore, Klopp's side will be missing just Joel Matip, Conor Bradley and Thiago Alcantara along with Jota for the clash, which will give them plenty of hope that they can see off their Merseyside rivals and take another massive step towards crowning Klopp's swansong season with a Premier League trophy.

India’s No. 1 offspinner talks to Manjrekar on his form abroad, injuries and more

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Apr-2020R Ashwin has said that he is “fighting my own benchmarks” because his Test performances overseas are being measured against his heroics in India. Despite being the country’s best long-form spinner in this decade, there has been only one instance of Ashwin playing every match of a Test series held outside Asia.Various factors have contributed to this situation, including injury to the player and selection based on horses for courses logic. Take India’s most recent Test tour. Ashwin played the first match against New Zealand in Wellington but lost his spot in the next one to Ravindra Jadeja as the team management sought to bolster their batting firepower.Despite this trend of not being picked consistently for overseas matches, Ashwin said his numbers since the Johannesburg Test in December 2013, where he went wicketless in 42 overs, have “significantly increased.”In an extensive conversation with Sanjay Manjrekar for ESPNcricinfo’s Videocast series, he said: “See, one thing is for sure. I’m actually fighting my own benchmarks in a lot of ways. The number of games that I’ve managed to win for my country and for myself, the number of successes I’ve had and the excellence I’ve shown is always measured up in equal parlance when I travel away from the country, which is great.”Other topics Ashwin opened up on

His success in Test cricket as new-ball bowler
How IPL was like a “slap on his face” early in his career
How WV Raman helped him build on the carom ball in ‘isolation’
The ‘reverse’ carom ball
Why he has no time for old-fashioned coaching but has time for old-fashioned ways of building discipline
Why Sehwag was “carefree” about his failures and that is why he was brilliant
The future of fingerspin

Ashwin’s numbers outside Asia have certainly become better after the 2016 tour of West Indies, where he featured in the whole series. Since then in 12 Tests outside Asia, he has picked up 44 wickets at an average of 27.65. Eight of those were played in Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand, where Ashwin took 27 wickets at 30.48.Before 2016, he had played nine Tests outside Asia, which yielded 24 wickets at 56.58Since becoming a one-format player after the 2017 Champions Trophy, Ashwin has spent summers in the UK playing county cricket so that he can be a wicket-taker even on unfriendly pitches.”Increasingly the number of games I’ve played in England, I’ve started realising that for a spinner to be bowling in alien conditions and to be able to repeat similar numbers (as at home), you need to be bowling in all the possible right times of the game, first. And, secondly, you do need a little bit of luck. After 2014 [December 2013] when I had that South Africa game, I’ve taken a very serious look at my numbers and those numbers have significantly increased very, very well.”Ashwin also opened up on the hurt caused by critics who questioned him after his injuries at crucial times in the 2018 tour of England and later Australia. Ashwin suffered a hip injury during the fourth Test in Southampton and was again ruled out after the first Test in Adelaide.Ashwin said his body had “let him down” due to the “stop-start” nature of being a single-format player. Asked whether technically he was facing any challenges overseas, Ashwin disagreed, saying he had grown wiser and better with every experience. “For me to able to deliver on a consistent basis abroad there are a lot of factors beyond just me that need to go into it.”